1.
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
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The Chief of Staff is typically the highest-ranking officer on active-duty in the U. S. Air Force unless the Chairman and/or the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are Air Force officers. The current Chief of Staff of the Air Force is General David L. Goldfein, the Chief of Staff may also perform other duties as assigned by either the President, the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the Air Force. The Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, also a general, is the Chief of Staffs principal deputy. The Chief of Staff of the Air Force is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as prescribed by 10 U. S. C, when performing his JCS duties the Chief of Staff is responsible directly to the Secretary of Defense. Like the other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the CSAF is an administrative position, the CSAF is nominated for appointment by the President and must be confirmed via majority vote by the Senate. By statute, the CSAF is appointed as a four-star general, the Chief of Staff is also authorized to wear a special service cap with clouds and lightning bolts around the band of the hat. Prior to the creation of this position, General Henry H, arnold was designated first Chief of the Army Air Forces and Commanding General of the Army Air Forces during World War II. *Three former chiefs of staff would serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Brown served as the Chairman from July 1974 to June 1978, jones served as the Chairman from June 1978 to June 1982. The fourth Air Force officer to have served as the Chairman, myers, did not serve as Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Department of Defense Key Officials 1947–2015, washington DC, Office of the Secretary of Defense, Historical Office. HAF MISSION DIRECTIVE 1-4 - CHIEF OF STAFF OF THE AIR FORCE, washington DC, Secretary of the Air Force. Headquarters United States Air Force Key Personnel, washington DC, Air Force Historical Studies Office. Air Force History Support Office, Air Force Chiefs of Staff

2.
General (United States)
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In the United States Army, United States Marine Corps, and United States Air Force, general is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. General ranks above lieutenant general and below General of the Army or General of the Air Force, General is equivalent to the rank of admiral in the other uniformed services. The United States Code explicitly limits the number of general officers that may be on active duty at any given time. The total number of active duty general officers is capped at 231 for the Army,61 for the Marine Corps,198 for the Air Force, and 162 for the Navy. No more than about 25% of an active duty general or flag officers may have more than two stars, and statute sets the total number of four-star officers allowed in each service. This is set at 7 four-star Army generals,9 four-star Air Force generals,2 four-star Marine Generals, several of these slots are reserved by statute. For example, the two highest-ranking members of service are designated as four-star generals. In addition, for the National Guard, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau is a general under active duty in the Army or Air Force. Officers serving in certain intelligence positions e. g. the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, the President may add four-star slots to one service if they are offset by removing an equivalent number from other services. Finally, all statutory limits may be waived at the Presidents discretion during time of war or national emergency and their active rank expires with the expiration of their term of office, which is usually set by statute. For some positions, statute allows the President to waive those requirements for a nominee deemed to serve national interests, the nominee must be confirmed by the United States Senate before the appointee can take office and assume the rank. Four-star ranks may also be given by act of Congress but this is extremely rare, service vice chiefs serve for a nominal four years, but are commonly reassigned after one or two years. The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps serves for two years, the Chief of the National Guard Bureau serves a nominal four years. Some statutory limits can be waived in times of emergency or war. Other than voluntary retirement, statute sets a number of mandates for retirement, a four-star general must retire after 40 years of service unless he or she is reappointed to serve longer. Otherwise all general officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday, however, the Secretary of Defense can defer a four-star officers retirement until the officers 66th birthday and the President can defer it until the officers 68th birthday. General officers typically retire well in advance of the age and service limits. Since only a number of four-star slots are available to each service

4.
United States Department of the Air Force
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The Department of the Air Force is one of the three Military Departments within the Department of Defense of the United States of America. The Department of the Air Force was formed on September 18,1947, per the National Security Act of 1947, the Secretary of the Air Forces principal deputy is the Under Secretary of the Air Force. Only the Secretary of Defense has the authority to transfer of forces between Combatant Commands. The department has suffered many problems in aircraft acquisition over the years,2003, Darleen Druyun rigged plan to lease Boeing tankers. 2011, Department sends KC-X evaluations to wrong companies,2012, Error in paperwork requires Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance to be rebid. Department of the Air Force Airman Magazine, The Book 2010 – Personnel Facts, Airman Magazine, Volume 54 Number 3. Official site Department of the Air Force in the Federal Register

5.
Air Staff (United States)
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The Air Staff is one of the Department of the Air Forces two statutorily designated headquarters staffs, the other staff is the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, also known as the Secretariat. The Air Staff is headed by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Air Staff is primarily composed of uniformed U. S. The Air Staff was reorganized in 2006 to be numbered in accordance with the Joint Staff system, for the most part, the Joint Staff numbering system applies to the air staff. For reference, the organization of the Joint Staff follows, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff of the U. S. S. Board members also include the Secretary of the Air Force, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the office responds to Combat Air Force and combatant command requirements. The RCO reports to a board of directors comprising the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, the office is staffed with a variety of functional specialists who form a collaborative melting pot of expertise. The Secretary of the Air Force activated the office 28 April 2003, one of its first projects was to deploy significant upgrades to the Integrated Air Defense System, now operational around the National Capital Region. Currently, RCO is working on the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle to demonstrate a reliable, reusable, additionally, RCO, in conjunction with MIT Lincoln Lab and other partners, is developing a sensitive airborne receiver system. The system is scheduled for evaluation during the summer of 2009. The RCO Red Team assesses current and future threats to U. S. combat operations by providing independent technical assessments, Joint Chiefs of Staff Organization of the U. S. Air force Countdown to A10 staff Air Force Staff Restructures to Improve Joint Ops, Communication

6.
United States Secretary of the Air Force
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The Secretary of the Air Force is the head of the Department of the Air Force, a component organization within the Department of Defense of the United States. The Secretary of the Air Force is appointed from civilian life by the President, by and with the advice, the salary of SECAF IS $179,700, Level II. On December 13,2013, Deborah Lee James was confirmed by the United States Senate to be the next Secretary of the Air Force and she was sworn in by Timothy Beyland on December 20. Undersecretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning assumed the role of acting secretary when then-Secretary of the Air Force Michael B, President Obama nominated James on August 1,2013. At that time, she was serving as president of the technology, the Secretary is the head of the Department of the Air Force, analogous to that of a chief executive officer of a corporation. The Department of the Air Force is defined as a Military Department, the exclusive responsibilities of the Secretary of the Air Force are enumerated in Title 10 Section 8013 of the United States Code. They include, but are not limited to, Recruiting, the construction, outfitting, and repair of military equipment. Air Force units while assigned to Combatant Commands may only be reassigned by authority of the Secretary of Defense, Air Force Officers have to report on any matter to the Secretary, or the Secretarys designate, when requested. The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force is one of the Department of the Air Forces two headquarter staffs at the seat of government, the one is the Air Staff. Definitions Subtitle D - Air Force CHAPTER6 - COMBATANT COMMANDERS §162, Combatant command, assigned forces, chain of command CHAPTER803 - DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE §8011. Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, under Secretary of the Air Force. CHAPTER805 - THE AIR STAFF §8032, the Air Staff, general duties §8033. Department of Defense Directive 5101.2, DoD Executive Agent for Space, leaders Through the Years,2012 USAF Almanac US Air Force Senior Leadership at Archive. is

7.
The Pentagon
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The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D. C. As a symbol of the U. S. military, The Pentagon is often used metonymically to refer to the U. S. Department of Defense, the Pentagon was designed by American architect George Bergstrom, and built by general contractor John McShain of Philadelphia. Ground was broken for construction on September 11,1941, General Brehon Somervell provided the major motive power behind the project, Colonel Leslie Groves was responsible for overseeing the project for the U. S. Army. The Pentagon is one of the worlds largest office buildings, with about 6,500,000 sq ft, approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel work in the Pentagon. It has five sides, five floors above ground, two basement levels, and five ring corridors per floor with a total of 17.5 mi of corridors. It was the first significant foreign attack on Washingtons governmental facilities since the city was burned by the British, when World War II broke out in Europe, the War Department rapidly expanded in anticipation that the United States would be drawn into the conflict. Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson found the situation unacceptable, with the Munitions Building overcrowded, Stimson told U. S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in May 1941 that the War Department needed additional space. On July 17,1941, a hearing took place, organized by Virginia congressman Clifton Woodrum. Reybold agreed to back to the congressman within five days. The War Department called upon its construction chief, General Brehon Somervell, Government officials agreed that the War Department building, officially designated Federal Office Building No 1, should be constructed across the Potomac River, in Arlington County, Virginia. Requirements for the new building were that it be no more than four stories tall, the requirements meant that, instead of rising vertically, the building would be sprawling over a large area. Possible sites for the building included the Department of Agricultures Arlington Experimental Farm, adjacent to Arlington National Cemetery, the site originally chosen was Arlington Farms which had a roughly pentagonal shape, so the building was planned accordingly as an irregular pentagon. Concerned that the new building could obstruct the view of Washington, D. C. from Arlington Cemetery, the building retained its pentagonal layout because a major redesign at that stage would have been costly, and Roosevelt liked the design. Freed of the constraints of the asymmetric Arlington Farms site, it was modified into a pentagon which resembled the star forts of the gunpowder age. While the project went through the process in late July 1941, Somervell selected the contractors, including John McShain, Inc. and Doyle and Russell. In addition to the Hoover Airport site and other government-owned land, construction of the Pentagon required an additional 287 acres, which were acquired at a cost of $2.2 million. The Hells Bottom neighborhood, a slum with numerous pawnshops, factories, approximately 150 homes, Later 300 acres of land were transferred to Arlington National Cemetery and to Fort Myer, leaving 280 acres for the Pentagon. Contracts totaling $31,100,000 were finalized with McShain and the contractors on September 11

8.
Arlington County, Virginia
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Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is coterminous with the U. S. Census Bureau-census-designated place of Arlington, as a result, the county is often referred to in the region simply as Arlington or Arlington, Virginia. In 2015, the population was estimated at 229,164. The land that became Arlington was originally donated by Virginia to the United States government to form part of the new federal district of Columbia. In 1846, Congress returned the land southwest of the Potomac River donated by Virginia due to issues involving Congressional representation, the General Assembly of Virginia changed the countys name to Arlington in 1920 to avoid confusion with the adjacent City of Alexandria. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington. Arlington is also bordered by Fairfax County and City of Falls Church to the northwest, west and southwest, as of the 2010 census, the population was 207,627. Due to the proximity to downtown Washington, D. C. It is also home to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the many federal agencies, government contractors, and service industries contribute to Arlingtons stable economy. It is the county in the United States by median family income. According to a 2016 study by Bankrate. com, Arlington is the best place to retire, the area that now constitutes Arlington County was originally part of Fairfax County in the Colony of Virginia. Land grants from the British monarch were awarded to prominent Englishmen in exchange for political favors, one of the grantees was Thomas Fairfax, 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, who lends his name to both Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax. George Washington Parke Custis, grandson of First Lady Martha Washington, the estate was eventually passed down to Mary Anna Custis Lee, wife of General Robert E. Lee. The property later became Arlington National Cemetery during the American Civil War, the area that now contains Arlington County was ceded to the new United States federal government by the Commonwealth of Virginia. With the passage of the Residence Act in 1790, Congress approved a new permanent capital to be located on the Potomac River, the Residence Act originally only allowed the President to select a location within Maryland as far east as what is now the Anacostia River. However, President Washington shifted the federal territorys borders to the southeast in order to include the city of Alexandria at the Districts southern tip. In 1791, Congress amended the Residence Act to approve the new site, however, this amendment to the Residence Act specifically prohibited the erection of the public buildings otherwise than on the Maryland side of the River Potomac. As permitted by the U. S. Constitution, the shape of the federal district was a square, measuring 10 miles on each side

9.
Virginia
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Virginia is a state located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, as well as in the historic Southeast. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay, the capital of the Commonwealth is Richmond, Virginia Beach is the most populous city, and Fairfax County is the most populous political subdivision. The Commonwealths estimated population as of 2014 is over 8.3 million, the areas history begins with several indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607 the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent New World English colony, slave labor and the land acquired from displaced Native American tribes each played a significant role in the colonys early politics and plantation economy. Although the Commonwealth was under one-party rule for nearly a century following Reconstruction, the Virginia General Assembly is the oldest continuous law-making body in the New World. The state government was ranked most effective by the Pew Center on the States in both 2005 and 2008 and it is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginias economy changed from agricultural to industrial during the 1960s and 1970s. Virginia has an area of 42,774.2 square miles, including 3,180.13 square miles of water. Virginias boundary with Maryland and Washington, D. C. extends to the mark of the south shore of the Potomac River. The southern border is defined as the 36° 30′ parallel north, the border with Tennessee was not settled until 1893, when their dispute was brought to the U. S. Supreme Court. The Chesapeake Bay separates the portion of the Commonwealth from the two-county peninsula of Virginias Eastern Shore. The bay was formed from the river valleys of the Susquehanna River. Many of Virginias rivers flow into the Chesapeake Bay, including the Potomac, Rappahannock, York, and James, the Tidewater is a coastal plain between the Atlantic coast and the fall line. It includes the Eastern Shore and major estuaries of Chesapeake Bay, the Piedmont is a series of sedimentary and igneous rock-based foothills east of the mountains which were formed in the Mesozoic era. The region, known for its clay soil, includes the Southwest Mountains around Charlottesville. The Blue Ridge Mountains are a province of the Appalachian Mountains with the highest points in the state. The Ridge and Valley region is west of the mountains and includes the Great Appalachian Valley, the region is carbonate rock based and includes Massanutten Mountain. The Cumberland Plateau and the Cumberland Mountains are in the southwest corner of Virginia, in this region, rivers flow northwest, with a dendritic drainage system, into the Ohio River basin

10.
President of the United States
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The President of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the executive branch of the government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces. The president is considered to be one of the worlds most powerful political figures, the role includes being the commander-in-chief of the worlds most expensive military with the second largest nuclear arsenal and leading the nation with the largest economy by nominal GDP. The office of President holds significant hard and soft power both in the United States and abroad, Constitution vests the executive power of the United States in the president. The president is empowered to grant federal pardons and reprieves. The president is responsible for dictating the legislative agenda of the party to which the president is a member. The president also directs the foreign and domestic policy of the United States, since the office of President was established in 1789, its power has grown substantially, as has the power of the federal government as a whole. However, nine vice presidents have assumed the presidency without having elected to the office. The Twenty-second Amendment prohibits anyone from being elected president for a third term, in all,44 individuals have served 45 presidencies spanning 57 full four-year terms. On January 20,2017, Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th, in 1776, the Thirteen Colonies, acting through the Second Continental Congress, declared political independence from Great Britain during the American Revolution. The new states, though independent of each other as nation states, desiring to avoid anything that remotely resembled a monarchy, Congress negotiated the Articles of Confederation to establish a weak alliance between the states. Out from under any monarchy, the states assigned some formerly royal prerogatives to Congress, only after all the states agreed to a resolution settling competing western land claims did the Articles take effect on March 1,1781, when Maryland became the final state to ratify them. In 1783, the Treaty of Paris secured independence for each of the former colonies, with peace at hand, the states each turned toward their own internal affairs. Prospects for the convention appeared bleak until James Madison and Edmund Randolph succeeded in securing George Washingtons attendance to Philadelphia as a delegate for Virginia. It was through the negotiations at Philadelphia that the presidency framed in the U. S. The first power the Constitution confers upon the president is the veto, the Presentment Clause requires any bill passed by Congress to be presented to the president before it can become law. Once the legislation has been presented, the president has three options, Sign the legislation, the bill becomes law. Veto the legislation and return it to Congress, expressing any objections, in this instance, the president neither signs nor vetoes the legislation

11.
United States Senate
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The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress which, along with the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, composes the legislature of the United States. The composition and powers of the Senate are established by Article One of the United States Constitution. S. From 1789 until 1913, Senators were appointed by the legislatures of the states represented, following the ratification of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913. The Senate chamber is located in the wing of the Capitol, in Washington. It further has the responsibility of conducting trials of those impeached by the House, in the early 20th century, the practice of majority and minority parties electing their floor leaders began, although they are not constitutional officers. This idea of having one chamber represent people equally, while the other gives equal representation to states regardless of population, was known as the Connecticut Compromise, there was also a desire to have two Houses that could act as an internal check on each other. One was intended to be a Peoples House directly elected by the people, the other was intended to represent the states to such extent as they retained their sovereignty except for the powers expressly delegated to the national government. The Senate was thus not designed to serve the people of the United States equally, the Constitution provides that the approval of both chambers is necessary for the passage of legislation. First convened in 1789, the Senate of the United States was formed on the example of the ancient Roman Senate, the name is derived from the senatus, Latin for council of elders. James Madison made the comment about the Senate, In England, at this day, if elections were open to all classes of people. An agrarian law would take place. If these observations be just, our government ought to secure the permanent interests of the country against innovation, landholders ought to have a share in the government, to support these invaluable interests, and to balance and check the other. They ought to be so constituted as to protect the minority of the opulent against the majority, the senate, therefore, ought to be this body, and to answer these purposes, the people ought to have permanency and stability. The Constitution stipulates that no constitutional amendment may be created to deprive a state of its equal suffrage in the Senate without that states consent, the District of Columbia and all other territories are not entitled to representation in either House of the Congress. The District of Columbia elects two senators, but they are officials of the D. C. city government. The United States has had 50 states since 1959, thus the Senate has had 100 senators since 1959. In 1787, Virginia had roughly ten times the population of Rhode Island, whereas today California has roughly 70 times the population of Wyoming and this means some citizens are effectively two orders of magnitude better represented in the Senate than those in other states. Seats in the House of Representatives are approximately proportionate to the population of each state, before the adoption of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, Senators were elected by the individual state legislatures

12.
Term of office
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A term of office is the length of time a person serves in a particular elected office. In many jurisdictions there is a limit on how long terms of office may be before the officeholder must be subject to re-election. Some jurisdictions exercise term limits, setting a number of terms an individual may hold in a particular office. Being the origin of the Westminster system, aspects of the United Kingdoms system of government are replicated in other countries. The monarch serves as head of state until his or her death or abdication, in the United Kingdom Members of Parliament in the House of Commons are elected for the duration of the parliament. Following dissolution of the Parliament, an election is held which consists of simultaneous elections for all seats. For most MPs this means that their terms of office are identical to the duration of the Parliament, an MP elected in a by-election mid-way through a Parliament, regardless of how long they have occupied the seat, is not exempt from facing re-election at the next general election. The Septennial Act 1715 provided that a Parliament expired seven years after it had been summoned, prior to the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 parliaments had no minimum duration. Parliaments could be dissolved early by the monarch at the Prime Ministers request, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 mandated that Parliaments should last their full five years. Early dissolution is possible, but under much more limited circumstances. Hereditary peers and life peers retain membership of the House of Lords for life, Lords Spiritual hold membership of the House of Lords until the end of their time as bishops, though a senior bishop may be made a life peer upon the end of their bishopric. The devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are variations on the system of government used at Westminster, the office of the leader of the devolved administrations has no numeric term limit imposed upon it. However, in the case of the Scottish Government and the Welsh Assembly Government there are fixed terms for which the legislatures can sit and this is imposed at four years. Elections may be held before this time but only if no administration can be formed, offices of local government other regional elected officials follow similar rules to the national offices discussed above, with persons elected to fixed terms of a few years. Federal judges have different terms in office, however, the majority of the federal judiciary, Article III judges, such as those of the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and federal district courts, serve for life. The terms of office for officials in state governments according to the provisions of state constitutions. The term for state governors is four years in all states but Vermont and New Hampshire, the National Conference of State Legislatures reported in January 2007 that among state legislatures,44 states had terms of office for the lower house of the state legislature at two years. Five had terms of office at four years,37 states had terms of office for the upper house of the state legislature at four years

13.
Hoyt Vandenberg
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Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg was a U. S. Air Force general, its second Chief of Staff, and second Director of Central Intelligence. During World War II, Vandenberg was the general of the Ninth Air Force. Vandenberg Air Force Base on the central coast of California is named after him, in 1946, he was briefly the U. S. He was the nephew of Arthur H. Vandenberg, a former U. S, Vandenberg was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Pearl Kane and William Collins Vandenberg. He grew up in Lowell, Massachusetts, spending his teenage years there, while there he was one of the first Eagle Scouts in the Boy Scouts of Americas Lowell Council. He graduated from the United States Military Academy on June 12,1923, Vandenberg graduated from the Air Service Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas, in February 1924, and from the Air Service Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, in September 1924. His first assignment was with the 90th Attack Squadron, part of the 3d Attack Group at Kelly Field, Vandenberg was appointed commander of the 90th AS on January 1,1926. In 1927, he became an instructor at the Air Corps Primary Flying School at March Field, in 1928 he was promoted to first lieutenant. In May 1929 he went to Wheeler Field, Hawaii, to join the 6th Pursuit Squadron, returning in September 1931, he was appointed a flying instructor at Randolph Field, Texas, and became a flight commander and deputy stage commander there in March 1933. He entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Alabama, in August 1934, two months later he enrolled in the Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, he completed the course in June 1936 and was promoted to the rank of captain. In 1940 Vandenberg was promoted to major and in 1941 to lieutenant colonel, a few months after the United States entered World War II, he was promoted to colonel and became operations and training officer of the Air Staff. For his services in two positions he received the Distinguished Service Medal. In June 1942, Vandenberg was assigned to the United Kingdom, while in Great Britain he was appointed the chief of staff of the Twelfth Air Force, which he helped organize. In December 1942 Vandenberg earned the promotion to Brigadier General, on February 18,1943, Vandenberg became the chief of staff of the Northwest African Strategic Air Force which was under the command of Major General James Doolittle. NASAF was the arm of the new Northwest African Air Forces under Lieutenant General Carl Spaatz. With NASAF, Vandenberg flew on missions over Tunisia, Pantelleria, Sardinia, Sicily. He was awarded both the Silver Star and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his services during this time, for his organizational ability with the 12th Air Force and his work as chief of staff of the NASAF he was awarded the Legion of Merit. In August 1943, Vandenberg was assigned to Air Force headquarters as Deputy Chief of Air Staff, in September 1943, he became head of an air mission to Russia, under Ambassador Harriman, and returned to the United States in January 1944

14.
United States Air Force
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The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U. S. military to be formed, the U. S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, the U. S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service more than 5,137 military aircraft,406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel,141,197 civilian employees,69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel. According to the National Security Act of 1947, which created the USAF and it shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The stated mission of the USAF today is to fly, fight, and win in air, space and we will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and it should be emphasized that the core functions, by themselves, are not doctrinal constructs. The purpose of Nuclear Deterrence Operations is to operate, maintain, in the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD, and the means to deliver them, moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are a nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. Nuclear strike is the ability of forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which the enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level, post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations, the Air Force, in conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements, adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Forces ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission, positive nuclear command, control, communications, effective nuclear weapons security, and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. OCA is the method of countering air and missile threats, since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source

15.
United States Secretary of Defense
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The Secretary of Defense is the leader and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense, an Executive Department of the Government of the United States of America. The Secretary of Defenses power over the United States military is only to that of the President. This position corresponds to what is known as a Defense Minister in many other countries. The Secretary of Defense is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, Secretary of Defense is a statutory office, and the general provision in 10 U. S. C. This is also extended to the United States Coast Guard during any period of time in which its command, only the Secretary of Defense can authorize the transfer of operational control of forces between the three Military Departments and the nine Combatant Commands. The current Secretary of Defense is retired United States Marine Corps general James Mattis, the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps were established in 1775, in concurrence with the American Revolution. Based on the experiences of World War II, proposals were made on how to more effectively manage the large combined military establishment. The Army generally favored centralization while the Navy had institutional preferences for decentralization, the resulting National Security Act of 1947 was largely a compromise between these divergent viewpoints. The Act merged the Department of War with the Department of the Navy to form the National Military Establishment, the Act also separated the Army Air Forces from the Department of the Army to become its own branch of service, the Department of the Air Force. At first, each of the service secretaries maintained quasi-cabinet status, the position of the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the number two position in the department, was also created at this time. The last major revision of the framework concerning the position was done in the Goldwater–Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986. In particular, it elevated the status of joint service for commissioned officers, making it in practice a requirement before appointments to general officer and flag officer grades could be made. Because the Constitution vests all military authority in Congress and the President, as the head of DoD, all officials, employees and service members are under the Secretary of Defense. All of these positions, civil and military, require Senate confirmation. Department of Defense Directive 5100.01 describes the relationships within the Department. The latest version, signed by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in December 2010, is the first major re-write since 1987, the name of the principally military staff organization, organized under the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is the Joint Staff. In addition, there is the Joint Meritorious Unit Award, which is the ribbon and unit award issued to joint DoD activities. While the approval authority for DSSM, DMSM, JSCM, JSAM and JMUA is delegated to inferior DoD officials, Permanent Representative to NATO in recognition of U. S

16.
Muir S. Fairchild
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General Muir Stephen Fairchild was the second vice chief of staff of the United States Air Force. Born in Bellingham, Washington, Fairchild moved to Olympia in 1905 when his father was appointed by Governor Meade as chairman of Washingtons first Railroad Commission. A year later Fairchild became a cadet at Berkeley, California, getting his wings. Fairchild fought the Germans from the air over the Rhine, including night bombing missions, in December 1918 Fairchild returned home and served at McCook Field, Ohio, Mitchel Field, New York, and Langley Field, Virginia. The flight originated with five aircraft and crews taking off from Kelly Field, Texas on December 21,1926, seeking to land in 23 Central and South American countries. Crew of the New York, Maj. Herbert Dargue, Lt. Ennis Whitehead, Crew of the San Antonio, Capt. Arthur McDaniel, Lt. Charles Robinson, Crew of the San Francisco, Capt. The crew of the New York were able to parachute to safety but Capt. Woolsley, Fairchild and the rest of the surviving Pan American Flight crew, and Charles Lindbergh, were among the first nine aviators to receive the newly created award Distinguished Flying Cross. He later attended the Army Industrial College, and the Army War College and he rose to director of air tactics and strategy in 1939. In 1940, Fairchild went to the Plans Division in Washington, two months later he was advanced two grades to brigadier general and named assistant chief of Air Corps. In 1942 he became director of requirements and was promoted to major general in August. In November he became a member of the Joint Strategic Survey Committee of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in January 1946, he was named commandant of Air University at Maxwell Field in Alabama, with promotion to lieutenant general. On May 27,1948 he became the vice chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force. General Fairchild died of an attack at his quarters at Fort Myer on March 17,1950. He was survived by his wife, Florence Alice Fairchild, and his daughter, Fairchild Hall, the main academic building at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado, and the library at the Air University in Alabama, Fairchild Memorial Hall, were named for him. In his home state of Washington, Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane was named for him shortly after his death and he is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 34, Plot 48-A

17.
Nathan Farragut Twining
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Nathan Farragut Twining was a United States Air Force General, born in Monroe, Wisconsin. He was Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1953 until 1957, as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1957 to 1960 he was the first member of the Air Force to serve in that role. Nathan Twining came from a background, his forebears had served in the United States Army and Navy since the French. His step-mother was Frances Staver Twining, author of Bird-Watching in the West, in 1913, Twining moved with his family from Monroe, Wisconsin, to Oswego, Oregon. He served in the Oregon National Guard from 1915 to 1917, in 1917, he received an appointment to West Point. Because the program was shortened so as to produce officers for combat. After graduating in 1918 and serving in the infantry for three years, arriving in Europe in July 1919, he transferred to the Air Service. Over the next 15 years he flew fighter aircraft in Texas, Louisiana, and Hawaii, while attending the Air Corps Tactical School. On 1 February 1943, the U. S. Navy rescued Brig. Gen. Twining, the 13th Air Force Commander and they had ditched their plane on the way from Guadalcanal to Espiritu Santo and spent six days in life rafts. On 20 October 1945, Twining led three B-29s in developing a new route from Guam to Washington via India and Germany and they completed the 13, 167-mile-trip in 59 hours,30 minutes. He returned to the States where he was named commander of the Air Materiel Command, in 1947, Twining was asked to study UFO reports, he recommended that a formal study of the phenomenon take place, Project Sign was the result. He was alleged to be a member of the group known as Majestic 12. Researchers and the FBI concluded it is a hoax, when General Hoyt Vandenberg retired in mid-1953, Twining was selected as chief, during his tenure, massive retaliation based on airpower became the national strategy. In 1957, President Eisenhower appointed Twining Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Twining died on March 29,1982 at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. General Twining held the ratings of Command Pilot and Aircraft Observer, in addition, General Twining was awarded numerous personal decorations from the U. S. military and foreign countries. National Aviation Hall of Fame A city park in Monroe, Wisconsin, Twinings birthplace, an extensive amateur astronomy observatory facility located in rural central New Mexico is named after him. Fact Sheets, Gen. Nathan F. Twining, Nathan Farragut Twining, General, United States Air Force]. American Airpower Biography, A Survey of the Field

18.
Thomas D. White
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General Thomas Dresser White was the fourth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. White was born in Walker, Minnesota, in 1901, upon graduation from the United States Military Academy on July 2,1920, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant of Infantry and immediately promoted to First Lieutenant. Entering the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia, White graduated in July 1921, in September 1924, he entered Primary Flying School at Brooks Field, Texas. He graduated from Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas, in September 1925, in June 1927, White was assigned to duty as a student of the Chinese language in Peking, China. Four years later, he returned to the United States for duty at Headquarters Air Corps, Washington, White was named assistant military attache for air to Russia in February 1934. A year later, he was appointed assistant military attache for air to Italy and Greece, White graduated from the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Alabama, in May 1938. He then entered Command and General Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, upon completion of this training, he was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Air Corps, Washington, D. C. In April 1940, White became military attache to Brazil and the following August was named chief of the U. S, reassigned to Air Force Headquarters in January 1944, he became assistant chief of air staff for intelligence. The following June, he assumed command of the Seventh Air Force in the Marianas, in January 1946, he returned with the Seventh Air Force to Hawaii. That October, he was appointed chief of staff of the Pacific Air Command in Tokyo, one year later, in October 1947, White took command of the Fifth Air Force in Japan. Transferred to the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in October 1948 and he was appointed, in May 1950, Air Force Member of the Joint Strategic Survey Committee in the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was assigned as director of Plans, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, in February 1951, and in July 1951, assumed duties of deputy chief of staff of operations for the Air Force. White was promoted to the rank of general on June 30,1953 and his decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with oak leaf cluster and Air Medal with oak leaf cluster. He died on December 22,1965 of leukemia and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, official USAF biography at Archive. is Thomas Dresser White Papers at Syracuse University

19.
Curtis LeMay
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Curtis Emerson LeMay was a general in the United States Air Force and the vice presidential running mate of American Independent Party candidate George Wallace in the 1968 presidential election. Curtis LeMay is credited with designing and implementing an effective, but also controversial, during the war, he was known for planning and executing a massive fire bombing campaign against cities in Japan and a crippling minelaying campaign in Japans internal waterways. After the war, he initiated the Berlin airlift, then reorganized the Strategic Air Command into an instrument of nuclear war. He served as Chief of Staff of the U. S. Air Force from 1961 until his retirement in 1965, LeMay was born in Columbus, Ohio, on November 15,1906. LeMay was of English and distant French Huguenot heritage and his father, Erving Edwin LeMay, was at times an ironworker and general handyman, but he never held a job longer than a few months. His mother, Arizona Dove LeMay, did her best to hold her family together, with very limited income, his family moved around the country as his father looked for work, going as far as Montana and California. Eventually they returned to his city of Columbus. LeMay attended Columbus public schools, graduating from Columbus South High School, working his way through college, he graduated with a bachelors degree in civil engineering. While at Ohio State he was a member of the National Society of Pershing Rifles and he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Corps Reserve in October 1929. He received a commission in the United States Army Air Corps in January 1930. While finishing at Ohio State, he took flight training at Norton Field in Columbus, on June 9,1934, he married Helen Estelle Maitland, with whom he had one child, Patricia Jane LeMay Lodge, known as Janie. LeMay became a pilot and, while stationed in Hawaii. In August 1937, as navigator under pilot and commander Caleb V, in 1940 he was navigator for Haynes on the prototype Boeing XB-15 heavy bomber, flying a survey from Panama over the Galapagos islands. War brought rapid promotion and increased responsibility, when his crews were not flying missions, they were subjected to relentless training, as LeMay believed that training was the key to saving their lives. You train as you fight, was one of his cardinal rules, throughout his career, LeMay was widely and fondly known among his troops as Old Iron Pants, and the Big Cigar. He took this unit to England in October 1942 as part of the Eighth Air Force, in September 1943, he became the first commander of the newly formed 3d Air Division. He personally led several missions, including the Regensburg section of the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission of August 17,1943. In that mission, he led 146 B-17s to Regensburg, Germany, beyond the range of escorting fighters, the heavy losses in veteran crews on this and subsequent deep penetration missions in the autumn of 1943 led the Eighth Air Force to limit missions to targets within escort range

20.
Frederic H. Smith Jr.
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Smith was born at Fort Monroe, Virginia, in 1908. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated a second lieutenant of Field Artillery, smiths first assignment was that of student officer at the Air Corps Primary and Advanced Flying Schools at Brooks and Kelly Fields, Texas. After receiving his wings, he was transferred to the Army Air Corps in December 1930 and his first Air Corps assignment was at France Field, Panama Canal Zone, where he served with the 63rd Service Squadron and the 24th Pursuit Squadron until December 1932. Smith then returned to the U. S. for assignment to the 41st School Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas, in January 1933. From 1936 to 1939, following three years as flying instructor at Kelly Field, Captain Smith served as senior aeronautical inspector for the Panama Canal, Balboa Heights and he also acted as advisor on aviation matters to the Governor of the Panama Canal. In late 1939, Captain Smith returned to the States as operations officer of the 36th Pursuit Squadron, a few months later he became its commander at Langley Field, Virginia. Within a year after Captain Smith assumed his first command, he was appointed commanding officer of the Eighth Pursuit Group, Seventh Pursuit Wing, at Mitchel Field, in January 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Smith took his Eighth Pursuit Group to the Southwest Pacific. Later in the year he left the group to become chief of staff of the advanced echelon of the newly activated Fifth Air Force. During the fall of 1944, Brigadier General Smith returned to the U. S to become deputy chief of Air Staff at Headquarters, Army Air Force, Washington and he returned to the Southwest Pacific in February 1945 to direct the Fifth Fighter Command. At the end of the war Smith was ordered to Washington for duty in the Office of the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Plans and he served there in the Special Organizational Planning Group until March 1946. In April 1946, he was appointed chief of staff of the Strategic Air Command at Andrews Field, Maryland, major General Smith was appointed assistant for programming in that office in February 1948, a position he held until August 14,1950. He was then named commanding general of the Eastern Air Defense Force, Stewart Air Force Base, Smith became vice commander of the Air Defense Command, Ent Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado on March 1,1952. He served there until June 20,1956, when he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and again joined the Fifth Air Force, this time as its commander. In September 1958, General Smith returned to the U. S. to assume command of the Air Training Command, with headquarters at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. He arrived in Germany in August 1959 to take command of the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force, on July 1,1961 Smith assumed duties as vice chief of staff, United States Air Force, Washington, D. C. He retired from the Air Force on September 1,1962 and this article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document

21.
William F. McKee
–
William Fulton McKee was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander, Air Force Logistics Command from 1961 to 1962, and Vice Chief of Staff, U. S. Air Force from 1962 to 1964. He later served as the Federal Aviation Administration Administrator from 1965 to 1968, McKee was born at Chilhowie, Virginia, in 1906. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York and his first assignment upon graduation was with the 13th Coast Artillery at Fort Barrancas, Florida. He then went to Fort Randolph in the Panama Canal Zone where he served as a officer in the First Coast Artillery. Returning to the United States in October 1938, he was assigned to the Presidio of San Francisco, California, as an assistant to G-2, later he became executive officer of the Caribbean Interceptor Command under Major General Follett Bradley. In October 1941, he returned to the United States for assignment to the 71st Coast Artillery at Fort Story, Virginia, as battalion commander and he later performed the same duties when his division moved to the Naval Operating Base at Norfolk, Virginia. In January 1942 he was assigned to Headquarters Army Air Forces and was appointed chief of the Anti-Aircraft and Airdrome Defense Section. Shortly thereafter, he became officer for the Directorate of Air Defense. In November 1943, he became deputy assistant chief of Air Staff for operations, commitments and requirements, in January 1946, he was appointed chief of staff of Air Transport Command with headquarters at Washington. The following August he went to Europe as commanding general of the European Division, ATC, with station at Paris, France. In December 1946 he transferred to Headquarters U. S. Air Force in Europe at Wiesbaden, Germany, returning to the United States in August 1947, he was appointed assistant vice chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force on September 27,1947. He was assigned to Headquarters Air Materiel Command as vice commander on June 10,1953, on April 1,1961 Air Materiel Command was redesignated Air Force Logistics Command. On August 1,1961, McKee became a general and assumed the post of commander. On July 1,1962, McKee moved to Washington and became chief of staff of the Air Force. McKee was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal with oak leaf cluster and he was presented the first annual Distinguished Management Award of the Air Force Association on July 31,1957. He retired from the Air Force on July 31,1964, after leaving the FAA, he was president of Schriever-McKee Associates in Arlington, Virginia from 1968 to 1987. He died on February 28,1987 in San Antonio, Texas after a brief illness and he was survived by his wife, Gertrude, and two sons. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document

22.
John P. McConnell
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General John Paul McConnell was the sixth Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force, in his other capacity, he was responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force for managing the vast human and materiel resources of the worlds most powerful aerospace force. John Paul McConnell was the son of Dr. Samuel Paul McConnell, a medical doctor, a native of Booneville, Arkansas, General McConnell graduated magna cum laude from Henderson Brown College at Arkadelphia, Arkansas, with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1927. He entered West Point a year later and, at the time of his graduation in 1932, was First Captain of the Corps of Cadets, after taking flying training at Randolph and Kelly Fields, Texas, he received his pilot wings in 1933. Subsequently, he served in key Air Force positions in both Asia and Europe, in 1943 he became chief of staff of the China-Burma-India Air Force Training Command at Karachi, India, and remained in Asia for the rest of the war. While senior air officer, Air Command Southeast Asia, and deputy commander of the Third Tactical Air Force in 1944. In 1946 he was named senior air adviser to the Chinese government and, at the time, commanded the Air Division. Assigned to England in 1950, he served as deputy commander and later, commander of the Third Air Force and he then took command of the 7th Air Division of the Strategic Air Command, commanding the Third Air Force at the same time. In 1962 General McConnell was assigned to Europe as deputy commander in chief of the United States European Command and his appointment as chief of staff was extended to July 1969. In June 1965, he was presented an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Akron, Akron and he also received an honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in June 1966. General McConnell retired from the Air Force on July 31,1969 and died November 21,1986 in Bethesda, Montgomery County, Maryland. A funeral service was held on November 25,1986 in the National Cathedral in Washington, D. C. with burial in the Air Force Academy Cemetery in Colorado Springs, the Arkansas Aviation Historical Society inducted McConnell into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame in 1985. General McConnells son, Dorsey W. M. McConnell, is bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, another son, Bruce W. McConnell, is a vice president at the EastWest Institute. United States Air Force portal Johnson-McConnell agreement of 1966 This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force document GENERAL JOHN PAUL MCCONNELL Biography

23.
William H. Blanchard
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General William Hugh Blanchard was a United States Air Force officer who attained the rank of four-star general and served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1965 to 1966. He graduated and received his commission in 1938, in 1944, General Blanchard, as deputy commander of the 58th Bomb Wing, flew the first B-29 into China to begin his participation in strategic bombing operations against the Japanese mainland. In the climaxing phase of World War II, then Colonel Blanchard was directed to prepare and he was the backup pilot for the Hiroshima A-bomb drop, which was ultimately delivered by Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Commanding Officer of the 509th Atomic Bombardment Group or Wing. After the war, on January 20,1946, Blanchard became Commanding Officer of the 509th, by this time, post-war demobilization had reduced the 509th to a skeleton crew. But Blanchard and the 509th were immediately ordered to commence operations for the Operation Crossroads atomic tests at Bikini atoll. With highest priorities, crews were assembled and in March the 509th was transferred to Kwajalein, Marshall Islands for the Bikini atomic bomb tests, the press release and the media feeding frenzy that followed it triggered the so-called Roswell UFO Incident. Higher headquarters turned out to be Brigadier General Roger Ramey, head of the Eighth Army Air Force in Fort Worth, Texas, a year later, in 1948, Blanchard was assigned to Strategic Air Commands Eighth Air Force Headquarters in Fort Worth as director of operations. Blanchard helped direct the atomic training of crews for B-36s, the United States first intercontinental bombers, after commanding B-50 and B-36 bomber units of SAC, he was assigned as deputy director of operations for that command in 1953. General Blanchard assumed command of SACs 7th Air Division in England in 1957, returning to SAC headquarters three years later, he was assigned as director of operations. After 15 years of service in SAC, he was appointed Inspector General of the U. S. Air Force. In August 1963 he was named deputy chief of staff, programs and requirements in Headquarters U. S. Air Force and he was assigned the additional duty as senior Air Force member, Military Staff Committee of the United Nations, later that year. On February 19,1965, General Blanchard became Vice Chief of Staff of the U. S. Air Force and he died at the Pentagon on May 31,1966 of a massive heart attack while still on active duty. He was buried on 3 June 1966 at the United States Air Force Academy Cemetery and his wife, Anne Hutt Blanchard, his daughter, Mrs. Dale Brown, and sons William Hugh Blanchard II & Donald H. Blanchard attended the interment ceremony. There is a building at Bolling Air Force Base named in his honor and this article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document

24.
Bruce K. Holloway
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General Bruce Keener Holloway was an American Air Force general. A West Point graduate, a World War II fighter ace, Holloway was one of two children born to Frank P. Holloway, a mill owner, and Elizabeth Keener, a homemaker. After The US entered World War II in December 1941, Holloway was sent to China to observe Chennaults American Volunteer Group and he became the commander of the 23rd Fighter Group USAAF. During his China tour, Holloway earned status as a fighter ace and he returned to the US in 1944. As commander of the Army Air Forces first jet-equipped fighter group in 1946, after graduation from the National War College in 1951, he progressed through key staff assignments in both operations and development fields at Headquarters U. S. Air Force. Later, as director of requirements, he played a key role in preparing and evaluating proposals for many aircraft. Holloway spent four years in Tactical Air Command as deputy commander of both the 9th and 12th Air Forces, and in 1961 he was named deputy commander in chief of the U. S, strike Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. Later in that assignment, he also fulfilled additional responsibilities as deputy commander in chief of the Middle East/Southern Asia and Africa South of the Sahara Command. He became commander-in-chief of the Strategic Air Command at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, on August 1,1968, Holloway died of heart failure at age 87 in Orlando, Florida on 30 September 1999. His remains were cremated and interred in his hometown of Knoxville, len Blaylock This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document. The New York Times - obituary - Bruce K. Holloway -9 October 1999-10-09, accessed 31 October 2010 Legion of Honor - Order of Commander

25.
John Dale Ryan
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General John Dale Ryan was the seventh Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force and he was a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which, as a body, acts as the principal military adviser to the president, the National Security Council, and the Secretary of Defense. In his other capacity, he was responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force for managing the vast human, the general was born in Cherokee, Iowa, in 1915. Following graduation from Cherokee Junior College in 1934, he entered the United States Military Academy from which he graduated in 1938 and he next attended flying school at Randolph and Kelly fields, Texas, and received his pilot wings in 1939. General Ryan remained at Kelly Field as an instructor for approximately two years. From January 1942 until August 1943, he was director of training at Midland Army Air Field, Texas, while commanding the 2d Bombardment Group he lost a finger to enemy antiaircraft fire. Later on, this resulted in his nickname, sometimes used derisively and he returned to the United States in April 1945, and became deputy air base commander, Midland Army Air Field, Texas. From September 1946 to July 1948, he was assistant chief of staff for pilots of the 58th Bombardment Wing, for the next three years, he commanded the 509th Bombardment Group at Walker Air Force Base, New Mexico. General Ryan became director of materiel for the Strategic Air Command in June 1956, in July 1961, he was named commander of the Second Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. In August 1963, General Ryan was assigned to the Pentagon as inspector general for the U. S. Air Force, one year later he was named vice commander in chief of Strategic Air Command and in December 1964, became commander in chief. He was assigned as commander in chief, Pacific Air Forces, the general was appointed vice chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force in August 1968, and chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force in August 1969. One of the more controversial moves of his tenure was his disbandment of the U. S. Air Force Pipes and Drums, the only free-standing, full-time pipe band in the U. S. armed forces. He received a doctor of laws degree from Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, on May 30,1966. General Ryans son, General Michael E. Ryan, USAF, unlike the elder Ryans career as bomber pilot, the younger Ryan was a fighter pilot. Public domain biography provided by the United States Air Force John Dale Ryan at Find a Grave

26.
John C. Meyer
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SAC was the United States major nuclear deterrent force with bombers, tankers and reconnaissance aircraft, and intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff coordinated the nations nuclear war plans, General Meyer, born in Brooklyn, New York, attended schools in New York and left Dartmouth to become an Aviation Cadet in 1939. After the war he graduated from Dartmouth College with a bachelor of degree in political geography. He enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in November 1939 in order to become a pilot, in July 1940 he was commissioned a second lieutenant and awarded pilot wings. Second Lieutenant Meyer was assigned to instructor duty at Randolph Field, Texas and Gunter Field. He was then transferred to the 33rd Pursuit Squadron of the 8th Pursuit Group at Mitchel Field, during the tense days before the United States entered World War II, the Group was sent to Iceland, flying convoy patrol missions. By the end of December, Meyer had received most of the personnel and had twenty six pilots assigned. In January, the moved to New Haven, Connecticut. The 34th was redesignated as the 487th Fighter Squadron in May 1943 prior to receiving orders to deploy to England, captain Meyer took the 487th Fighter Squadron to its new base at RAF Bodney in East Anglia and into combat, scoring its first victory in November. By then he had promoted to major and began leading the group in aerial victories. He continued to score against German fighters and remain a leading ace after the 352nd transitioned to the North American P-51 Mustang and adopted their famous Blue Noses. By November 1944 he was deputy commander of the 352nd Fighter Group, in December Meyer, as a Lieutenant Colonel, deployed with the 352nd to a forward base in Belgium designated Y-29. Meyer led the takeoff under fire and scored against a strafing Focke-Wulf Fw 190 before his landing gear retracted earning a Distinguished Service Cross that day, in 1948 General Meyer was selected as the Secretary of the Air Forces principal point of contact with the United States House of Representatives. Meyer then returned to a flying unit in August 1950 when he assumed command of the 4th Fighter Wing at New Castle. He took the North American F-86 Sabre jet wing to Korea where it flew in the First United Nations Counteroffensive and he destroyed two MiG-15 aircraft, bringing his total of enemy aircraft destroyed to 39½. He was then assigned to Strategic Air Command where he commanded two air divisions in the Northeast United States, in November 1963 General Meyer assumed command of the Tactical Air Commands Twelfth Air Force with headquarters at James Connally AFB in Waco, Texas. Twelfth Air Force provided tactical air units for joint logistic and close air support training with Army ground units stationed in the half of the United States. In February 1966 he was assigned to the Organization of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff where he served first as deputy director, in May 1967 he became the director of operations on the Joint Staff

27.
Horace M. Wade
–
Horace Milton Wade was a former General in the United States Air Force and a former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Wade was born in 1916, in Magnolia, Arkansas, after completing high school in Wortham, Texas, he returned to Arkansas, and graduated from the Magnolia Agricultural and Mechanical Junior College in 1936. His military career began in 1934 when he became a member of Company D, 153rd Infantry Regiment and he entered the Army Air Corps Flying School at Randolph Field in Texas in 1937. Upon graduating and receiving his wings, in October 1938, he was commissioned as a lieutenant, Air Corps Reserve. In March 1946 he was assigned to Headquarters Air Transport Command as deputy chief of staff, in February 1948 he received his bachelor of science degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas. He completed the National War College in June 1955 and was assigned as director of personnel, Headquarters Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. In August 1962 he returned to The Pentagon to serve as the assistant deputy chief of staff, plans and programs, Headquarters United States Air Force. On Dec.1,1964, Wade was named commander of the Eighth Air Force at Westover Air Force Base, in August 1966, he was again returned to Air Force headquarters, this time as deputy chief of staff for personnel. In February 1969 he was appointed chief of staff, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, Wade became Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, on May 1,1972. At some point the United States Air Force named an award after him, over his career as a pilot, he maintained his proficiency in multijet aircraft and has more than 8,450 hours of flying time. Wade died on June 14,2001 and this article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force document GENERAL HORACE M. WADE. Special Tribute to General Horace M. Wade

28.
Richard H. Ellis
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He was also director of the Joint Strategic Connectivity Staff. Ellis was born in Laurel, Delaware, where he completed elementary and he received his bachelor of arts degree in history from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1941 and juris doctor degree from Dickinson School of Law in 1949. Ellis entered active duty in September 1941 as an aviation cadet at Maxwell Field. He received his commission and pilot wings at Turner Field, Georgia, during World War II he served with the 3rd Bombardment Group in Australia, New Guinea and the Philippines, and flew more than 200 combat missions in the Western Pacific area. He served as a pilot, commander of the 90th Bombardment Squadron, group operations officer and, from September 1944, in April 1945 General Ellis was assigned as deputy chief of staff, United States Far East Air Forces, in the Philippine Islands and Japan. He requested release from duty, became a member of the Air Force Reserve. He graduated in 1949 and, after admission to the Delaware Bar, practiced law in Wilmington, from January 1956 to May 1958, Ellis was deputy chief of staff, operations, Headquarters Nineteenth Air Force, Foster Air Force Base, Texas. In July 1961 Ellis become executive to the chief of staff, from August 1963 to June 1965, he commanded the 315th Air Division, Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. He returned to Washington, D. C. and served as deputy director, J-5, in August 1967 he returned to the Air Staff, this time as director of plans. He assumed command of 9th Air Force with headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina and he was appointed vice commander in chief of U. S. Air Forces in Europe in September 1970. He assumed additional duty as commander, Sixteenth Air Force, Torrejon Air Base and he served as Vice Chief of Staff, U. S. Air Force, from November 1973 to August 1975. He was then appointed commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe and he assumed command of SAC in August 1977. Ellis was a pilot and earned the Master Missile and the Parachutist badges. He was awarded the State of Delaware Distinguished Service Medal by Governor Walter W. Bacon in 1946, in September 1980 he was presented the Air Force Associations highest honor, the H. H. Arnold Award for significant contributions to national defense, as the recipient of this award he was also named as the associations National Aerospace Man of the Year. General Ellis received the Korean Order of National Security Merit, First Class on May 13,1981, at the Korean Ministry of National Defense in Seoul. This award, the highest honor given by the Republic of Korea to a military leader, was presented to the general for his important contributions to national defense of the Republic of Korea. He was promoted to General on November 1,1973, with date of rank September 30,1973 and he retired from the Air Force August 1,1981

29.
William V. McBride
–
William Vincent McBride is a former General in the United States Air Force and the former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. McBride was born in Wampum, Pennsylvania in 1922 and he received his high school education from Wampum High School in 1939. He later attended the Garfield Business Institute, Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania and he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps in 1942 and entered aviation cadet training. He completed navigation training at the Pan American Airways Navigation School, Coral Gables, Florida and he next attended bombardier school in Carlsbad, New Mexico, and in March 1943 entered combat crew training as a navigator-bombardier in B-26 Marauder aircraft at MacDill Field, Florida. In July 1943 he joined the 387th Bombardment Group in the European Theater of Operations as squadron navigator and he helped plan and flew on many of the important missions in support of the Allied ground forces offensive, including D-Day operations. After World War II, he trained new navigators at Ellington Field, Texas and he attended basic and advanced pilot training at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana in 1947-1948 to become a triple-rated officer. In 1950 he attended New York University in New York City, since that time, many of his military assignments were in the Military Airlift Command in weather reconnaissance, air rescue and airlift functions. During the Korean War, he commanded the Second Air Rescue Group in Okinawa, after a tour of duty in Headquarters Air Rescue Service as deputy chief of staff for plans, he commanded the Eighth Air Rescue Group at Stead Air Force Base, Nevada, during 1956-1957. He then commanded the 1608th Air Transport Group at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina The group was responsible for providing airlift to Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. In July 1960 he was assigned to Headquarters United States Air Force, Directorate of Plans, to work on problems related to counterinsurgency and he served first as assistant chief of the Cold War Division and later as the chief of the Special Warfare Division. In June 1964 he was selected by Secretary of the Air Force Eugene M. Zuckert to become his military assistant and he was assigned as commander of the 437th Military Airlift Wing, Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina, in August 1966. McBride was assigned as commander in chief, United States Air Forces in Europe, with headquarters at Lindsey Air Station, Wiesbaden, Germany. He assumed command of Air Training Command in September 1972, McBride was appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force on September 1,1975. He was promoted to the grade of general effective Sept.1,1974 and he retired on March 31,1978. He currently lives in San Antonio, Texas. afhra. af. mil/, photo of a plaque dedicated to William

30.
Lew Allen
–
Lew Allen, Jr. was a United States Air Force four-star General who served as the tenth Chief of Staff of the U. S. Air Force. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he and the service chiefs function as the military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council. Born in Miami, Florida, Allen attended and graduated high school in Gainesville, Texas. He entered the United States Military Academy, in 1943, and he graduated in 1946 with a bachelor of science degree and he was awarded his pilots wings upon his graduation from flight training. Allen also served in technical positions in the area of nuclear weapons. In September 1950, Allen entered the University of Illinois for graduate study in nuclear physics and he completed his Master of Science degree in 1952. Allen continued his study, and he earned his Ph. D. in physics in 1954. He had completed a thesis on high-energy photonuclear reactions. General Allen then was assigned to the U. S, atomic Energy Commissions Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico, as a physicist in the Test Division, where he became acquainted with the bomb designer Ted Taylor. Allen conducted experiments in different nuclear test series. These experiments concerned the physics of thermonuclear weapons design and to the effects of high altitude nuclear explosions conceivably to be used for missile defense. From June 1957 to December 1961, Allen was assigned to Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, Allen specialized in the military effects of high altitude nuclear explosions and participated in several nuclear weapons test series. In August 1973, Allen became the Director of the National Security Agency, allens tenure as the N. S. A. director was noteworthy in that he became the first N. S. A. director to ever testify publicly before Congress. In August 1977, he was named Commander of Air Force Systems Command, Allen served as the Vice-Chief-of-Staff of the U. S. Air Force from April 1978 until he became the Chief of Staff of the Air Force in July 1978. General Allen was a member of the National Academy of Engineering, from 1993 to 1995, Allen served as a member of the Presidents Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and the Intelligence Oversight Board. Allen was awarded the 1999 Distinguished Graduate Award of the Association of Graduates, Allen died in Potomac Falls, Virginia, on January 4,2010 of complications from rheumatoid arthritis. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on March 22,2010, since 1986, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory awards in his honor the Lew Allen Award for Excellence, until 1990 called the Director’s Research Achievement Award. Project Shamrock This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Air Force document General Lew Allen Jr, official Air Force biography JPL mourns passing of former director Lew Allen – JPL/NASA News Service

31.
James A. Hill
–
General James Arthur Hill was a U. S. Air Force four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He was born in 1923 in Lancaster, Ohio Orphaned at sixteen, he graduated from St. Marys High School in 1940 and he was inducted into the Army in January 1943 and through aviation cadet training received his pilot wings and commission as a second lieutenant in February 1944. He subsequently qualified in multiengine aircraft, during World War II, Hill flew 31 European Theater combat missions in a B-24 Liberator bomber while assigned to the 566th Bombardment Squadron, 389th Bombardment Group. After World War II he served at bases in the United States until 1949 when he was called upon to fly C-54 Skymaster aircraft in the Berlin Airlift. Hill returned to the United States in June 1958 to fill a number of different positions in the Western Transport Air Force at Travis Air Force Base, in July 1964 he became deputy assistant director for joint matters in the Directorate of Operations. From July 1965 to August 1966, he served as deputy commander for operations, 1502d Air Transport Wing at Hickam Air Force Base, in July 1968 he was reassigned to Travis Air Force Base as the commander, 60th Military Airlift Wing. In March 1970 he returned to Headquarters Military Airlift Command as deputy chief of staff for operations, Hill returned to the Pentagon in March 1971 as deputy director of programs. In June 1977 Hill became commander in chief, Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Base, Hill assumed duties as vice chief of staff on July 1,1978 and was promoted to the grade of general on July 10,1978. He retired from the Air Force on February 29,1980 and he died on October 1,2010 after a long battle with myelodysplastic syndrome. He was rated a command pilot

32.
Robert C. Mathis
–
Robert Couth Mathis was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Vice Chief of Staff, U. S. Air Force from 1980 to 1982. Mathis was born in 1927, in Eagle Pass, Texas and he graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in 1948 with a bachelor of science degree and a commission as second lieutenant. Later in his career he received advanced degrees from the University of Illinois, during the Korean War Mathis served as an F-80 fighter pilot in the 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and as a forward air controller with the 6148th Tactical Control Squadron. In addition to the Purple Heart, he received the Silver Star. During this period he played a role in the critical development phases of the Ballistic Missile Warning System, the Echo Satellite Program. From October 1967 to November 1968, he more than 200 combat missions. Mathis returned to the United States in November 1968 for duty in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, in August 1969 he was named commander of the Rome Air Development Center. Under his direction the center established one of the best flight safety, during this tour of duty he also managed tactical reconnaissance, strike and electronic warfare programs. Mathis served as deputy chief of staff, systems, at Air Force Systems Command headquarters, Andrews Air Force Base, from October 1976 to May 1977, when he became vice commander of Air Force Systems Command. He became the commander of Tactical Air Command at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. He became the Air Force Vice Chief of Staff on March 1,1980, on June 1,1982 General Robert C. Mathis retired from the Air Force, upon retirement, Mathis and his wife, Greta, founded Eagle Mount, a nonprofit organization for therapeutic recreation in Bozeman, Montana. Eagle Mount provides recreational services for people of all ages with physical and developmental disabilities and he died on April 27,2016 in Billings, Montana. He was cremated and later interred at Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman and this article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document

33.
Jerome F. O'Malley
–
He died in an airplane crash while still in command of Tactical Air Command. OMalley was born in Carbondale, Pennsylvania, and graduated from St. Rose Parochial School in 1949, after receiving his pilot wings in August 1954 at Bryan Air Force Base, Texas, OMalley received jet training in F-86 Sabrejets at Perrin Air Force Base, Texas. In January 1955 he was assigned as an air training officer at the U. S. Air Force Academy, then located at Lowry Air Force Base, Colorado. Following graduation with distinction from the Air Command and Staff College in June 1965, OMalley served as a pilot with the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, Beale Air Force Base, while there he flew the first operational mission of the SR-71. In July 1969 he entered the Naval War College, from July 1970 to April 1971, he was director of operations for the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, and flew RF-4Cs. OMalley then left for Southeast Asia and served as commander and later commander of the 460th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Tan Son Nhut Air Base. In September 1971 he was assigned as commander of the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base. He flew 116 combat missions in F-4Ds and RF-4Cs and he commanded the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force Base from May 1972 to May 1973. He was then named commander of the 22nd Bombardment Wing, March Air Force Base, California, in January 1977 he moved to Washington, D. C. for duty as vice director for operations, Operations Directorate, Joint Staff, Organization of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He was appointed chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force in June 1982 and in October 1983 was named commander in chief of the Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base. He assumed command of Tactical Air Command in September 1984, OMalley was a command pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours. OMalley died on April 20,1985 with his wife Diane when the CT-39 Sabreliner they were in experienced hydraulic failure at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport, at the time of General OMalleys death, General Robert D. Russ assumed command of the Tactical Air Command and this article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document

34.
Lawrence A. Skantze
–
General Lawrence Albert Skantze is a retired United States Air Force four-star general and was commander, Air Force Systems Command at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. Skantze was born in 1928, in the Bronx, New York, after graduation from Cardinal Hayes High School in 1946, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served as a radio operator. In 1948 he received an appointment from the U. S. He received a Master of Science degree in engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. He completed Squadron Officer School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama and he completed his basic pilot training at Marana, Arizona, and advanced training at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, where he received his pilot wings in August 1953. He next entered B-26 combat crew training and in February 1954 was assigned to the 90th Bombardment Squadron at Kunsan Air Base, in January 1955 he returned to the United States to become aide to the commanding general of 14th Air Force at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. Skantze entered the Air Force Institute of Technology in August 1957 and his initial research and development assignment was as project engineer with the joint Air Force-Atomic Energy Commission Nuclear Powered Airplane program in Germantown, Maryland. In August 1961 he was an officer assigned to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development at Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington. From June 1963 to August 1965, he was assistant executive officer to the secretary of the Air Force. He then became deputy for the AGM-69A Short-Range Attack Missile at the Aeronautical Systems Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, General Skantze took command of the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in March 1979. In August 1982 General Skantze was named deputy chief of staff for research, development and he was responsible for all U. S. Air Force research, development and acquisition programs. The general was appointed chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force, Washington. He assumed command of Air Force Systems Command in August 1984 and he was a command pilot and earned the Senior Missile Badge. He was promoted to United States Air Force, Four Star General October 6,1983, with date of rank. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document

35.
Larry D. Welch
–
General Larry D. Welch was the 12th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he and the service chiefs functioned as the principal military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Nuclear Weapon Surety Task Force for the Defense Science Board, General Welch was born in Guymon, Oklahoma, and graduated from Liberal High School in 1952. C. The general completed Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia, in 1967, Welch is an Eagle Scout and recipient of the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award. He enlisted in the Kansas National Guard in October 1951, serving with the 161st Armored Field Artillery until he enlisted in the United States Air Force, in November 1953, he entered the aviation cadet program and received his pilot wings and commission as a Second Lieutenant. He served initially as an instructor until his assignment in July 1958, to Headquarters Air Training Command, Randolph Air Force Base. After completing the Armed Forces Staff College in July 1967, he was assigned to Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, D. C. under the assistant chief of staff for studies and analysis. In August 1977, he transferred to Headquarters Tactical Air Command where he served as general, deputy chief of staff for plans. In June 1981, he became commander of the Ninth Air Force, in November 1982, he was assigned as deputy chief of staff for programs and resources at Air Force headquarters and became vice chief of staff of the U. S. Air Force in July 1984. From August 1985 to June 1986, he served as commander in chief, Strategic Air Command and he became Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force in July 1986. Welch is one of two modern service chiefs to have risen from enlisted rank to his services highest position, the other being Navy Admiral Jeremy Michael Boorda. The general is a pilot with more than 6,500 flying hours. In 1998 he spent several months on the Rumsfeld Commission, which reported to Congress on the missile threat to the United States. Welch recently retired as the president of the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia and he continues to serve as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analyses. Welch briefed the results of the review before the U. S. Senate Committee on Armed Services on February 12,2008, in 2014, Secretary of Defense Hagel asked General Welch and Admiral John Harvey to lead an Independent Review of the Department of Defense Nuclear Enterprise. The report was delivered to the Secretary of Defense in June,2014

36.
John L. Piotrowski
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Space Command, from 1987 to 1990. Piotrowski was born in 1934, in Detroit and graduated from Henry Ford Trade School in Dearborn, Michigan and he attended Arizona State University and Florida State University, and graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He did postgraduate work at the University of Southern California and Auburn University and he enlisted in the U. S. Air Force in September 1952. After basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, he was assigned to Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, as a student in basic electronics and ground radar. In July 1953 Piotrowski transferred to Harlingen Air Force Base, Texas, for navigator, after graduating as a distinguished graduate, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Air Force in August 1954. He then returned to Keesler Air Force Base for advanced training in electronic countermeasures, in January 1955 he received the electronic warfare rating and was assigned to the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing in South Korea and Japan as an electronic warfare officer and RB-26 navigator. Piotrowski returned to the United States in May 1957 for pilot training at Marana Air Base, Arizona, Bainbridge Air Base, Georgia and he then attended F-86F advanced gunnery training at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. After graduation he was assigned as armament and electronics maintenance officer at Williams and, later, at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. In May 1961 he moved to Eglin Air Force Auxiliary Field 9, Florida, and joined the cadre of Project Jungle Jim. While assigned to Eglin, he served in Southeast Asia, from November 1961 to May 1963, as a maintenance officer. Upon completion of testing in the United States, he introduced the Walleye into combat with the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing in Southeast Asia, from December 1970 to July 1971 he attended the Royal Air Force College of Air Warfare. He was then assigned to Bitburg Air Base, West Germany, as assistant and, subsequently, deputy commander for operations, in January 1972 he took command of the 40th Tactical Group, Aviano Air Base, Italy. In April 1974 Piotrowski became chief of the Air Force Six-Man Group, located at Maxwell Air Force Base and he became vice commander of Keesler Technical Training Center, Keesler Air Force Base, in March 1975. While Congress debated the E-3 future, General Piotrowski took the planes on continuous road shows and he filled the planes with observers who would benefit, or could appreciate the capability to project tactical forces anywhere in the world, in less than 24 hours. He was not only a leader, he was very personable. A true tactical mission, with troops who could out of an A-3 bag for 200 days a year. Piotrowski was named deputy commander for air defense, Tactical Air Command, Peterson Air Force Base, in April 1981 he became Tactical Air Commands deputy chief of staff for operations at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and in August 1982 was assigned as the commands vice commander. He served as commander of 9th Air Force, Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, from October 1982 to July 1985 and he assumed command of NORAD in February 1987

37.
Monroe W. Hatch Jr.
–
Monroe W. Hatch Jr. is a former General in the United States Air Force and the former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. Hatch was born in 1933, in New Orleans, Louisiana and he entered the United States Naval Academy in 1951 and graduated in 1955 with a bachelor of science degree. In February 1956 he transferred to the 587th Tactical Missile Group at Sembach Air Base, West Germany, as a squadron guided missile officer. In February 1958 he entered training at Graham Air Force Base, Florida, and continued training at Greenville Air Force Base, Mississippi. After B-47 Stratojet combat crew training, he was assigned to the 321st Bombardment Wing, McCoy Air Force Base, in July 1961 he transitioned to B-52 Stratofortresses and served as a pilot with the 42nd Bombardment Wing, Loring Air Force Base, Maine. He then served as a staff officer in the Astronautics Technology and Applications Office. In June 1967 he attended the University of Oklahoma under the Air Force Institute of Technology program, while there he was elected to Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Gamma Tau honor societies. He then attended the National War College from August 1973 until July 1974, after graduating, Hatch was assigned to the Aircraft Division, Directorate of Operational Requirements and Development, Headquarters United States Air Force, Washington D. C. After serving as deputy chief, he became chief of the division in June 1976. In September 1978 he was assigned as deputy director for forces, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research, Development. He returned to Strategic Air Command headquarters in June 1979 as assistant deputy chief of staff of plans for operational requirements, in March 1981 he became commander of 14th Air Division, Beale Air Force Base, California. He was assigned to SAC headquarters in February 1982 and served as deputy chief of staff for plans until February 1983, Hatch was appointed Inspector General of the Air Force in September 1984. In August 1985 he was assigned as commander in chief, Strategic Air Command. He assumed his duty as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force in February 1987. He retired on June 1,1990, after retirement, he became the executive director of the Air Force Association. He has also works in the private sector. afhra. af. mil/

38.
John M. Loh
–
John Michael Loh is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force who last served as Commander, Air Combat Command from June 1992 to July 1995. His other four-star assignment include being the 24th Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force from June 1990 – March 1991 and he retired from the Air Force on July 1,1995. General Loh graduated from Gonzaga College High School, Washington, D. C. in 1956 and he has a masters degree in aeronautical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has commanded the Aeronautical Systems Division, Air Force Systems Command, the general commanded Tactical Air Command, then upon its deactivation, became the first commander of Air Combat Command. He is a pilot with more than 4,300 flying hours, primarily in fighter aircraft. Loh retired from the USAF on July 1,1995 and he founded JML & Associates, Inc. the same year. Also, he is the recipient of the 1972 Air Force Research and Development Award, in 2009 he honored by the United States Air Force Academy with their Distinguished Graduate award

39.
Michael P. C. Carns
–
Michael Patrick Chamberlain Carns was the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from 1991 to 1994. Carns was born in Junction City, Kansas, after graduating from St. Johns College High School, Washington, D. C. in 1955, he went to the United States Air Force Academy and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1959. After completing his B. S. degree, Carns completed primary training in March 1960 at Graham Air Base in Florida. Following pilot training, Carns served as a Flight Instructor at Laredo Air Force Base, Carns completed an MBA degree from Harvard Business School in 1967. After getting his MBA, he was assigned to the 476th Tactical Fighter Squadron, George Air Force Base and he transferred to the 40th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, again flying F-4s in January 1968. From August 1968 to September 1969 he was assigned to the 469th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand, where he flew 200 combat missions in the F-4E. Carns returned to the US in September 1969 and he was assigned to Air Force headquarters as a Plans and Programs Officer and this was followed by tours at Madrid-Torrejón Airport in Spain, Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Belgium and, RAF Bentwaters in England. After completing the Royal College of Defence Studies in 1977, Carns was assigned to the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing, RAF Bentwaters, Carns returned to the US in March 1979 and took command of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. He moved to Nellis Air Force Base in October 1980 as commander of the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing, in June 1982 he became director of operations, J-3, Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force, later redesignated United States Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base. He became deputy chief of staff for plans, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Hickam Air Force Base in July 1984, in July 1986 he assumed command of 13th Air Force, Clark Air Base in the Philippines. In June 1987 he was assigned as deputy commander in chief and chief of staff, United States Pacific Command, in September 1989 he became Director of the Joint Staff, Washington, DC. He became the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force in May 1991, on May 16,1991, he was promoted to the rank of general. Carns retired from the United States Air Force in July 1994 and he is currently the Vice Chairman of PrivaSource, Inc. a small software firm specializing in the security and de-identification of large, sensitive databases, in Weston, Massachusetts. Carns is also serves on the Board of Directors for VirtualAgility, Inc. and M-International. List of United States Air Force four-star generals

40.
Thomas S. Moorman Jr.
–
Thomas Samuel Moorman Jr. served as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force from July 1994 to August 1997. General Moorman was born in Washington, D. C and he was commissioned through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps program as a distinguished military graduate in 1962. The general has served in a variety of intelligence and reconnaissance related positions within the United States, while stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, in 1982, he became deeply involved in the planning and organizing for the establishment of Air Force Space Command. He additionally represented the Air Force in the Strategic Defense Initiative program and was authorized to accept SDI program execution responsibilities on behalf of the Air Force, since retiring from the USAF, he has been an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton. From 1997 -2009, he served on the Board of Directors of the Space Foundation,1962 Bachelors degree in history and political science, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire. 1965 Squadron Officer School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala.1972 Masters degree in administration, Western New England College, Springfield. August 1979 - June 1980, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, June 1980 - August 1981, deputy military assistant to the secretary of the Air Force, Washington, D. C. C. October 1987 - March 1990, director of Space and Strategic Defense Initiative programs, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisitions, the Pentagon, Washington, D. C. S

41.
Ralph Eberhart
–
General Ralph Edward Ed Eberhart was commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. He was in charge of NORAD on 9/11, General Eberhart entered the Air Force in 1968 as a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, having been the cadet wing commander during his senior year. The general has served as Vice Chief of Staff of the U. S. Air Force, commander, Air Combat Command, Commander, Air Force Space Command. General Eberhart has commanded a flight, squadron, wing, numbered air force, while commander of the 363rd Tactical Fighter Wing during Operation Desert Shield, the unit established the theaters initial air-to-ground combat capability from a forward operating location. A command pilot, General Eberhart has logged more than 5,000 hours, primarily in fighter and trainer aircraft, July 1980 – June 1982, aide to the Commander in Chief, Headquarters U. S. S. July 1986 – July 1987, student, National War College, Fort Lesley J. McNair, Washington, February 1994 – June 1995, Director, Force Structure, Resources and Assessment, the Joint Staff, Washington, D. C. June 1995 – June 1996, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, D. C. June 1996 – June 1997, Commander, U. S. Forces, Japan, and Commander, 5th Air Force, Yokota AB, Japan July 1997 – June 1999, Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, D. C. June 1999 – February 2000, Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Virginia February 2000 – April 2002, Commander in Chief, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U. S. S. White Space Award, AFA Air Force Order of the Sword, Air Force Space Command General Bernard A. Schriever Award, AFA General James V

42.
Lester Lyles
–
After retirement from the Air Force in 2003, he became a company director for General Dynamics, DPL Inc. MTC Technologies, Battelle Memorial Institute and USAA, Lyles is also a Trustee of Analytic Services and a Managing Partner of Four Seasons Ventures, LLC. Lyles entered the Air Force in 1968 as a graduate of the Air Force ROTC program. In 1981 he was assigned to Wright-Patterson AFB as Avionics Division Chief in the F-16 Systems Program Office and he has served as Director of Tactical Aircraft Systems at AFSC headquarters and as Director of the Medium-Launch Vehicles Program and Space-Launch Systems offices. Lyles became AFSC headquarters Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Requirements in 1989, in 1992 he became Vice Commander of Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah. He served as Commander of the center from 1993 until 1994, then was assigned to command the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB, Lyles became the Director of the Ballistic Missile Defense Organization in 1996. In May 1999, he was assigned as Vice Chief of Staff at Headquarters U. S. Air Force and he assumed command of Air Force Materiel Command in April 2000. Lyles retired from the Air Force on October 1,2003, Lyles was a member of The Presidents Commission on U. S. He chairs the Rationale and Goals of the U. S. Civil Space Program committee of the United States National Academies. In May 2009 he was named a member Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans Committee, the same year he was appointed to the Defense Science Board, a committee of civilian experts appointed to advise the U. S. Department of Defense on scientific and technical matters. As of December 2013, he continues to serve as its Vice Chairman, in December 2009, General Lyles was appointed to the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board by the White House. On January 22,2013, General Lyles was named Chairman of the Board of Directors for USAA having been a USAA member since 1968,1968 Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering, Howard University, Washington, D. C. April 1975 - March 1978, Executive Officer to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, D. C. May 1999 - April 2000, Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, bernard A. Schriever Award 2003 Honorary Doctor of Laws from New Mexico State University 2011 Thomas D. S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee website This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document

43.
John W. Handy
–
John W. Handy is a retired United States Air Force officer. Serving from 1967 to 2005, he reached the rank of General, Handy was commissioned in 1967, and received his pilot wings in 1968. His early commands included the 21st Air Force at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey and he then served as Director of Operations and Logistics for the U. S. Transportation Command, Director of Programs and Evaluations, and Deputy Chief of Staff for Installations and Logistics with the Air Staff in Washington, D. C. His final two postings were as Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force, from 2000 to 2001, transportation Command and Air Mobility Command, from October 2001 until September 2005. Handy is a pilot with more than 5,000 flying hours. As a C-130 Hercules pilot, he logged more than 300 combat hours in Southeast Asia

44.
Robert H. Foglesong
–
Doc Foglesong, formerly of Williamson, West Virginia, is a former President of Mississippi State University. He served in the United States Air Force from April 1972 until retirement as general in February 2006, Foglesong earned the degrees BSc, MSc and PhD at West Virginia University in chemical engineering in 1968,1969 and 1971 respectively. He holds an honorary Doctorate in Strategic Intelligence, and is a Distinguished Alumnus of West Virginia University and he was selected by the West Virginia Education Alliance as a Graduate of Distinction, and was selected by the West Virginia Executive Magazine as the Patriot of the Year for 2005. Foglesong attained the rank of general in the United States Air Force 5 November 2001. His last post was as Commander of U. S. Air Forces in Europe, general Foglesong commanded six times during his Air Force service including flying and maintenance units, a Numbered Air Force, and a Major Command. Some Airmen chaffed under these Combat Programs while others saw merit and value in the emphasis on pride, espirit. Foglesong was President of Mississippi State University from 2006 to 31 March 2008, Foglesong was the second retired general to hold the office of president at the university, Confederate lieutenant general Stephen D. Lee was the first. Foglesong tackled a number of competing internal and external agendas that he saw as undermining the purpose of delivering a quality education to its students. Under pressure from politicians, students and faculty, he resigned in March 2008, during his tenure enrollment rose 6% from 16,206 to 17,127 in 2008. Much of this landscaping was seen as destructive and shortsighted in nature by students, Foglesong founded a scholarship program in West Virginia called the Appalachian Leadership and Educational Foundation in 2006. He has also served as a director of now defunct Massey Energy, a major coal company which closed after flagrant safety violations during his tenure

45.
T. Michael Moseley
–
General Teed Michael Moseley, USAF is a retired United States Air Force General who served as the 18th Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force. He is a pilot with more than 2,800 flight hours. As a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the general and other service chiefs function as military advisers to the Secretary of Defense, National Security Council, Moseley resigned from the Air Force at the request of U. S. On 11 July 2008, a retirement ceremony was held for Moseley. Moseley was born in 1949 in Grand Prairie, Texas and he graduated from Texas A&M University in 1971 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. He earned a Master of Arts degree from Texas A&M University in 1972, the general has served as the combat Director of Operations for Joint Task Force-Southwest Asia. General Moseley also commanded 9th Air Force and U. S, central Command Air Forces while serving as Combined Forces Air Component Commander for Operations in Operation Southern Watch, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The general is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and he has been awarded the Order of National Merit and the Order of National Merit by the president of the French Republic. The Order of National Merit is the second highest French military award and he has also been awarded the United Arab Emirates Military Medal, 1st Class, by the president of the U. A. E. Moseleys staff assignments have been a mix of operational, joint and these include serving in Washington, D. C. S. Moseley assumed the position of Chief of Staff of the Air Force during a ceremony at Andrews Air Force Base on September 2,2005. Moseley personally adopted the United States Air Force Academy Class of 2009 as his own, as a result of a series of high-profile scandals and his resistance to the new drone programs, Moseley, along with the Secretary of the Air Force, was forced to resign. Following his resignation, Moseley continued to serve as Chief of Staff of the Air Force until his retirement ceremony at Bolling AFB, Washington. On 11 July 2008, Moseley had his retirement ceremony at Bolling Air Force Base in Washington. Former Secretary of the Air Force, the Honorable Michael Wynne presided over the ceremony, Moseley officially retired from the Air Force on August 1,2008. The contract involved the Thundervision project, meant to provide oversized video screens, the investigation revolves around possible involvement of former Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. John P. Jumper, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force T. Michael Moseley. It is suggested that the price was inflated, because a friend of the two generals, Air Force General Hal Hornburg, was associated with Strategic Message Solutions. Two companies involved in the bidding process protested award of the contract in January 2006, the Air Force cancelled the contract in February 2006

46.
John D. W. Corley
–
John Donald Wesley Corley is a retired four-star general in the United States Air Force. He previously served as the commander of Air Combat Command from October 2007 to September 10,2009 and he retired from the Air Force on November 1,2009. ACC operates more than 1,200 aircraft,27 wings,17 bases and more than 200 operating locations worldwide with 105,000 active-duty and civilian personnel. When mobilized, the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve contribute more than 900 aircraft and 56,000 people to Air Combat Command, as the Combat Air Forces lead agent, ACC develops strategy, doctrine, concepts, tactics and procedures for air and space power employment. The command provides conventional, nuclear and information warfare forces to all unified commands to ensure air, space and information superiority for warfighters, ACC can also be called upon to assist national agencies with intelligence, surveillance and crisis response capabilities. Prior to his current assignment General Corley was Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, as Vice Chief, he presided over the Air Staff and served as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Requirements Oversight Council. General Corley entered the Air Force after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy in 1973 and he earned his wings at Reese Air Force Base, Texas, in 1974. His aviation career includes more than 3,000 flying hours with combat experience and he has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. His staff positions comprise a mix of operational and joint duties in Tactical Air Command, Headquarters U. S. Air Force and he directed the safe recovery of isolated personnel during the largest combat search and rescue mission in 50 years and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. 1973 Bachelor of Science degree in engineering, U. S. S, army War College, Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania 1999 Russian and U. S. General Officer Executive Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 2002 Program for Senior Executives in National and International Security, September 2005 – September 2007, Vice Chief of Staff, Headquarters U. S. Air Force, Washington, D. C. October 2007 – September 2009, Commander, Air Combat Command, Langley AFB, Va. and Air Component Commander for U. S. af. mil/bios/bio. asp. bioID=5080

47.
Duncan McNabb
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Duncan J. McNabb is a retired United States Air Force general who last served as the ninth Commander, U. S. Transportation Command from September 5,2008 to October 17,2011 and he previously served as the 33rd Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. General McNabb graduated from the U. S. Air Force Academy in 1974, a command pilot, he has amassed more than 5,400 flying hours in transport and rotary wing aircraft. He has held command and staff positions at squadron, group, wing, major command, during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, General McNabb commanded the 41st Military Airlift Squadron, which earned Military Airlift Commands Airlift Squadron of the Year in 1990. The general commanded the 89th Operations Group, overseeing the air transportation of our nations leaders, including the President, Vice President, Secretary of State and he then served as Commander of the 62nd Airlift Wing. The wings performance in 1996 earned the Riverside Trophy as the 15th Air Forces outstanding wing, General McNabbs staff assignments have been a variety of planning, programming and logistical duties. These include serving as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs on the Air Staff, General McNabb retired from the Air Force on November 30,2011 after over 37 years of service. July 1993 – June 1995, Chief, Logistics Readiness Center, december 1999 – April 2002, Director of Programs, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters, United States Air Force, Washington, D. C. April 2002 – July 2004, Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters, United States Air Force, Washington, D. C. August 2004 – October 2005, Director for Logistics, the Joint Staff, Washington, D. C. C. C. as a Colonel August 2004 - October 2005, Director for Logistics, Joint Staff, the Pentagon, Washington, D. C. This article incorporates public domain material from the United States Government document U. S. Department of Defense Official Biography for Gen Duncan McNabb

Main Navy Building (foreground) and the Munitions Building were temporary structures built during World War I on the National Mall. The Munitions Building served as the Department of War headquarters for several years before moving into the Pentagon.

Hoyt Sanford Vandenberg (January 24, 1899 – April 2, 1954) was a U.S. Air Force general, its second Chief of Staff, and …

Eisenhower (seated, middle) with other US Army officers, 1945. From left to right, the front row includes Simpson, Patton, Spaatz, Eisenhower, Bradley, Hodges, and Gerow. Vandenberg is second from the left in the second row.

General (retired) Larry D. Welch (born June 9, 1934) is a retired four star general in the United States Air Force and …

General Larry D. Welch

8/28/2012 - General (retired) Larry Welch, speaks at the Defense Science Board breakfast as Col. Andrew Gebara, the 2nd Bomb Wing Commander, listens at Barksdale Air Force Base, LA. Welch attended the breakfast to meet with Airmen and discuss work-related issues and possible solutions while conducting a two-year follow up on Barksdale AFB after the creation of Air Force Global Strike Command.